Picadilly Circus Lit Up at Night- its Kind of like our Time Square in NY
Tuesday, October 7th
The original plan for today was to go on a walking tour over by Buckingham palace, however, we missed the tour, and ended up getting on a sight-seeing bus. We covered the entire city, plus some. Our tour guide was quite an enthusiastic young lady, and the bus driver was kinda a crazy driver, but it made it more exciting sitting on the open top of a double-decker bus. Rather than writing quite an extensive paragraph, I will compile a list of the activities for you:
-Saw a hotel that Michael Jackson stayed at, I think it was the one where he dangled his kid from, but I’m not sure
-Wellington Arch, next to Apsley House
-Buckingham Palace
-The street where Mozart lived and wrote his first symphony at age 8
-Marry Poppins sidewalk
-Eaton Square- St. Peter’s Church
-Westminster Abbey and Parliament (Big Ben is actually the bell inside of the tower, not the tower itself. The tower is St. Stevens)
-Learned that police are called Bobbies because a man named Robert (Bobby) started the police force
-The Thames is one of the cleanest rivers in Europe (doesn’t say much for the rest of the rivers… and we thought the Fox River was bad!)
-Saw a building that one of the Bond movies was filmed
-London Eye
-Saw the building where the senators live, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown
-Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery
Fun fact: when Nelson died, his body was preserved in rum until they got it back to London… the soldiers were all drunk when they returned… sick.
-Australia House- this was Gringotts in the Harry Potter films
-1st ever statue of Elizabeth I and the first 2-sided clock
-St. Brides, which looks like a teared wedding cake. This is where the different levels of a wedding cake comes from. Also, William Rich was the baker here, and that is where we get the phrase “too rich for me.”
-St. Paul’s Cathedral- where Princess Diana and Charles were married
-a Mary Poppins scene was filmed here as well
-A statue of fire fighters defending St. Paul’s during the Great Fire of London
-Mansion House- where the Lord Mayor lives
-I learned that in 4 days, 80% of London was destroyed, but the good that came of it was that it greatly diminished the rat population, helping to destroy the plague
-London Bridge and Tower Bridge
-There is a giant spike in front of London Bridge. It was used to put heads on to those who posed a threat or caused trouble. This giant spike remains there as a reminder of order
-Saw ‘the Bullet’ and ‘the Leaning Tower of Pizzas’ which is the City Hall
-Southwark Cathedral- where Shakespeare’s brother Edmund was buried
-Tate Modern- Henry Tate was the one who invented the sugar cube, and the building used to be a gas station… yea, it’s a modern art museum…
-Globe Theatre- burned down in 1613 during the first production of ‘Henry VIII’
-Cleopatra’s Needle- and Egyptian Obelisk
Yea, it was quite an extensive tour.
After that, we had a free walking tour of Jack the Ripper, so a few of us decided to do that as well. It turned to a rather gloomy, rainy atmosphere now, so that set the scene. Our tour guide was an incredibly enthusiastic older man, who really got into the part. He tried to be really creepy and would jump suddenly, acting like he was going to grab a girl’s throat. He did a really nice job of getting into character, but my favorite part was the instant change of “blah blah blah- creepy voice- Jack the Ripper- blah blah blah… (instant change to cheerful tour guide voice) and on your left, you will find this bus station which we will return to later for your return trip” I thought it was hilarious. After about an hour of crazy, over-dramatic Jack the Ripper-ness, we started to get annoyed with our crazy tour guide and his crazy dramatic talking. Don’t get me wrong, he did a great job… but after an hour, it becomes more comical than scary. It reminded me of something Andy and Adam would absolutely love and make fun of for years to come. J
Made it back in time for dinner, and left for the theatre. Tonight’s performance was a rendition of ‘Brief Encounter.’ It was FABULOUS! Theatre in London amazes me! My goal to learn and appreciate more about theatre is definitely growing, exponentially!
They started off with musicians walking around the theatre, playing some songs in a small ensemble. Later found out that these musicians were actually the pit orchestra for the show, but it was really interesting how they did it. They were off to the side playing during most of the performance, and were also actors in the show. The play itself was very artistic, incorporating film, fantasy, great music, awesome costumes, and incorporating a humorous spin on what was supposed to be quite a dramatic movie. I thought it was great.
Mr. VanBoxtel- it reminded me of you, and how you always ask us if we have seen any old films at school movie theatres. This was quite different though, but I absolutely loved how they re-made the film into the theatrical production, incorporating scenes from the film, and all of the new artistic elements.
Job- the trumpet player performed a song that I know I’ve heard you play once before, but you will have to forgive me because I have forgotten the name of it. I feel rather silly too, because it is a rather famous song that I absolutely should know the name of… Either way, it is part of the video I am posting, along with the introduction to the performance. It was such a great show!
It was a great play, and I wish that my descriptions could do anything justice…
After the show, I came back to my room, and attempted to catch up with posting more entries on my blog site. That instead, turned into a rather deep conversation with my roommates about how different we all are so different, and reflecting on how everyone has something to offer. Everyone in this group is all so different, and we all have different personalities, lifestyles, and goals about our travels, but it is interesting seeing how everyone works together and can learn so much not only from the new experiences we are taking part in, but also, from each other.
Then I was out for the nite.
The original plan for today was to go on a walking tour over by Buckingham palace, however, we missed the tour, and ended up getting on a sight-seeing bus. We covered the entire city, plus some. Our tour guide was quite an enthusiastic young lady, and the bus driver was kinda a crazy driver, but it made it more exciting sitting on the open top of a double-decker bus. Rather than writing quite an extensive paragraph, I will compile a list of the activities for you:
-Saw a hotel that Michael Jackson stayed at, I think it was the one where he dangled his kid from, but I’m not sure
-Wellington Arch, next to Apsley House
-Buckingham Palace
-The street where Mozart lived and wrote his first symphony at age 8
-Marry Poppins sidewalk
-Eaton Square- St. Peter’s Church
-Westminster Abbey and Parliament (Big Ben is actually the bell inside of the tower, not the tower itself. The tower is St. Stevens)
-Learned that police are called Bobbies because a man named Robert (Bobby) started the police force
-The Thames is one of the cleanest rivers in Europe (doesn’t say much for the rest of the rivers… and we thought the Fox River was bad!)
-Saw a building that one of the Bond movies was filmed
-London Eye
-Saw the building where the senators live, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown
-Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery
Fun fact: when Nelson died, his body was preserved in rum until they got it back to London… the soldiers were all drunk when they returned… sick.
-Australia House- this was Gringotts in the Harry Potter films
-1st ever statue of Elizabeth I and the first 2-sided clock
-St. Brides, which looks like a teared wedding cake. This is where the different levels of a wedding cake comes from. Also, William Rich was the baker here, and that is where we get the phrase “too rich for me.”
-St. Paul’s Cathedral- where Princess Diana and Charles were married
-a Mary Poppins scene was filmed here as well
-A statue of fire fighters defending St. Paul’s during the Great Fire of London
-Mansion House- where the Lord Mayor lives
-I learned that in 4 days, 80% of London was destroyed, but the good that came of it was that it greatly diminished the rat population, helping to destroy the plague
-London Bridge and Tower Bridge
-There is a giant spike in front of London Bridge. It was used to put heads on to those who posed a threat or caused trouble. This giant spike remains there as a reminder of order
-Saw ‘the Bullet’ and ‘the Leaning Tower of Pizzas’ which is the City Hall
-Southwark Cathedral- where Shakespeare’s brother Edmund was buried
-Tate Modern- Henry Tate was the one who invented the sugar cube, and the building used to be a gas station… yea, it’s a modern art museum…
-Globe Theatre- burned down in 1613 during the first production of ‘Henry VIII’
-Cleopatra’s Needle- and Egyptian Obelisk
Yea, it was quite an extensive tour.
After that, we had a free walking tour of Jack the Ripper, so a few of us decided to do that as well. It turned to a rather gloomy, rainy atmosphere now, so that set the scene. Our tour guide was an incredibly enthusiastic older man, who really got into the part. He tried to be really creepy and would jump suddenly, acting like he was going to grab a girl’s throat. He did a really nice job of getting into character, but my favorite part was the instant change of “blah blah blah- creepy voice- Jack the Ripper- blah blah blah… (instant change to cheerful tour guide voice) and on your left, you will find this bus station which we will return to later for your return trip” I thought it was hilarious. After about an hour of crazy, over-dramatic Jack the Ripper-ness, we started to get annoyed with our crazy tour guide and his crazy dramatic talking. Don’t get me wrong, he did a great job… but after an hour, it becomes more comical than scary. It reminded me of something Andy and Adam would absolutely love and make fun of for years to come. J
Made it back in time for dinner, and left for the theatre. Tonight’s performance was a rendition of ‘Brief Encounter.’ It was FABULOUS! Theatre in London amazes me! My goal to learn and appreciate more about theatre is definitely growing, exponentially!
They started off with musicians walking around the theatre, playing some songs in a small ensemble. Later found out that these musicians were actually the pit orchestra for the show, but it was really interesting how they did it. They were off to the side playing during most of the performance, and were also actors in the show. The play itself was very artistic, incorporating film, fantasy, great music, awesome costumes, and incorporating a humorous spin on what was supposed to be quite a dramatic movie. I thought it was great.
Mr. VanBoxtel- it reminded me of you, and how you always ask us if we have seen any old films at school movie theatres. This was quite different though, but I absolutely loved how they re-made the film into the theatrical production, incorporating scenes from the film, and all of the new artistic elements.
Job- the trumpet player performed a song that I know I’ve heard you play once before, but you will have to forgive me because I have forgotten the name of it. I feel rather silly too, because it is a rather famous song that I absolutely should know the name of… Either way, it is part of the video I am posting, along with the introduction to the performance. It was such a great show!
It was a great play, and I wish that my descriptions could do anything justice…
After the show, I came back to my room, and attempted to catch up with posting more entries on my blog site. That instead, turned into a rather deep conversation with my roommates about how different we all are so different, and reflecting on how everyone has something to offer. Everyone in this group is all so different, and we all have different personalities, lifestyles, and goals about our travels, but it is interesting seeing how everyone works together and can learn so much not only from the new experiences we are taking part in, but also, from each other.
Then I was out for the nite.
2 comments:
Police were called Bobbies or (even earlier) Peelers after Sir Robert Peel, who pushed the bill through Parliament.
The 'James Bond' building next to the river is the MI6 building, home to the real 007s!
The tales of St Brides are tall tales, the spire just looks like a wedding cake.
The firefighters are defending St Pauls during WW2 ('the Blitz', ~Sept 1940). The Great Fire was 1666, just a few years earlier, and a year after the plague. At the time the city was only a few sq miles in size and the fire destroyed 87 churches and 13,200 house... but less than 10 people are known to have died! Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, buried his prize possession in the back yard... a parmisan cheese!
If it is the 'spike' I'm thinking of, the spike by London Bridge is just a modern monument, but possibly it does represent the spikes on the old London Bridge (the one with the houses on it, not the one shipped to the US) that were used to display the heads of traitors.
The 'Bullet' we call the 'Gherkin' (a dill pickle), the 'Leaning Tower of Pizzas' is politely called the 'Headlamp' (less politely: males have 2 but females have none). We have 2 mayors: Mansion House is home and office of the Lord Mayor (of the City of London, 'the Square Mile'), City Hall is the office of the Mayor of (Greater) London (the Mayor of London is elected by the people, the Lord Mayor is elected by the City Livery Companies (a cross between a union and a trade association))
Tate Modern used to be a power station (coal-fired, so smog causing).
The Globe Theatre is the only building in London with a thatched roof. They were understandably a bit touchy about thatch after the Great Fire and it has been banned as a roofing material in London ever since, but Sam Wannamaker, the film director, whose brainchild the reconstruction was, managed to get a special dispensation to allow thatch to be used. The theatre was constructed using traditional 16thC techniques (or as near as possible).
They are playing Caravan.
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